Method of making shoe-linings.



A. L. HARRIS.

METHOD OF MAKING SHOE LININGS.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1914.

Patented May 5, 1914.

lnvenTo r. Arthur L.Harris, YiwdMzV Wifnesses.

AIIy's.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR L. HARRIS, 0F SWAMPSGOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO A. E. LITTLE 8t COMPANY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A FIRM.

METHOD OF MAKING SHOE-LININGS.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. Harms, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Swampscott, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts have invented an Improvement in Methods of Making Shoe-Linings, of which the following description, in connec tion with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a method of making a shoe lining, which method has a special advantage when employed in the manufacture of low shoes, such, for instance, as pumps. In the manufacture of a shoe of this type it is desirable to make the lining with a heel piece at the back in order to eliminate a seam in the lining at the center of the back because the presence of two seams, one in the lining and the other in the leather at this point, tends to weaken the shoe. here the lining is made with the heel piece the edges of the latter are sewed to the rear edges of the sides of the lining at points on the sides of the heel. It is also customary to form the heel piece of a shoe lining of some soft leather which has a clinging effect, such, for instance, as suede leather, the purpose of this character of leather being to prevent the shoe from slipping on the heel. In the manufacture of shoes of this type and especially where the lining is made with a heel piece difiiculty has been experienced in securing a proper fit to the lining around the heel portion, this being due to the fact that the heel has an outward curve from the heel seat to the top of the counter, while the heel piece as ordinarily made is perfectly straight in the back. Under these circumstances when the shoe is lasted the strain to which the portion of the heel piece that fits over the bulging portion of the last is subjected is sometimes sutficient to tear or disrupt the stitches which secure the heel piece to the sides of the lining or to otherwise injure the heel piece.

In accordance with my invention I have provided a novel method of making a lining with a heel piece by which the heel piece when sewed to the sides of the lining will have an outwardly-curved shape approximately the shape of the last, so that during the lasting operation the lining will be subjected to no particular strain.

In order to give an understanding of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 22, 1914.

. Patented May 5, 1914.

Serial No. 813,792.

invention I have illustrated a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described and will then point out the novel features in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of a pump; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the front and side portion of the lining of a shoe, such as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the heel piece of the lining; Fig. 4C is a perspective view showing the first step in securing the heel piece to the sides of the lining; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the heel portion of the lining complete; Fig. (3 shows the blank from which the heel piece is formed.

In Fig. 1 I have shown at 1 atype of shoe commonly known as a pump. The heel portion of shoes of this type as usually made presents a convexly-curved line 2 extending from the heel seat A to the top 3 of the shoe so that themeasurement around the' heel along the line a, Fig. 1, is larger than it is at the top 3 or at the heel seat portion 4:- In the manufzucture of shoes, it is customary to first make the shoe lining of canvas, leather, or other material, and then sew the lining into the upper before the lasting operation. It is also more or less customary to make the lining of shoes of the type shown in Fig. 1 with a heel piece of suede leather or similar clinging material which will cling to the stocking so as to prevent the shoe from slipping on the heel. This heel piece is usually of suflicient extent to extend around the back of the heel and is sewed to the sides of the lining.

It is the common practice at present to make the lining so that when completed the back edge thereof will be substantially straight from the point t to the point 3, and when a shoe having a lining thus made is lasted, the lasting operation causes the lining to assume the curved line 2, and this subjects the lining to considerable strain, especially along approximately the line n w, Fig. l, which strain is apt to either tear the lining or break the stitches which connect the heel piece to the sides of the lining.

In practising my invention, I form the heel end of the two sides of the lining in a particular way and make the heel piece of a particular shape so that when the heel piece is sewed to the sides of the lining said heel piece will have approximately the curvature of the line 2.

I have shown in Fig. 2 the front portion of the shoe lining which includes the toe portion 5 and the two sides 6, said sides extending nearly to the heel of the shoe. The heel end of each of the sides 6 is shaped to present the two edges 7 and S that form an angle to each other, the edge 7 at the upper portion of the lining preferably being slightly longer than the edge 8. The heel piece 9 which may be of suede leather or any suitable material is substantially the shape shown. in Fig. 6, and is made from a blank presenting the wide top portion 10, the sides of which present the downwardly-converging portions 11 that extend from the top edge to about the point 12, and the portions 13 which are substantially parallel to each other, The angle between the portions 11 and 13 at each side edge is greater than the angle between the edges 7 and 8 at the heel ends of the sides of the lining, and the length of the portion 11 is substantially the same as that of the edge 7. In sewing this heel piece to the side 6 of the shoe lining, the edges 11 are sewed to the edges 7, as shown in Fig. 4:, and when this is done the lower portion 15 of the lining between the edges 13 is bent forwardly to bring said edges 13 in parallelism with the edges 8, and the sewing is then completed, as shown in Fig. 5. This manner of making the heel piece with the angle between the edges 11 and 13 greater than the angle between the edges? and 8, and the above-described manner of sewing the heel piece to the sides 6 of the lining, causes the heel piece to have the convexly-curved shape best. seen in Fig. 5 which approximates the curvature 2 of the desired shoe. Where a shoe lining is made in this way the lasting operation does not subject the heel portion of the lining to any undue strain because when the shoe lining is completed, the heel piece thereof has a curvature conforming substantially to that of the last. It is possible with my invention to provide a lining having a heel piece which will approximately fit the shoe without subjecting it to any undue strain. In other words, my invention provides a means whereby when the heel piece is sewed into the lining the normal straight line of the heel piece is given a curve approximately conforming to the curve of the heel of the shoe.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The method of making a shoe lining which includes a heel piece secured to the sides of the lining, comprising the steps of forming the heel end of each side of the lining with two edge portions having an angle to each other, providing a heel piece each side of which presents two edge portions which have an angle to each other greater than the angle between the edge port-ions of the heel end ofeach side of the lining, sewing the upper edge portions of the sides of the heel piece to the upper edge portions of the heel ends of the sides of the lining, then bending the lower portion of the heel piece to bring the lower edge portions of its sides into alinement with the lower edge portions of the heel ends of the sides of the lining and sewing such edge portions together.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this application, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR L. HARRIS.

Vitnesses ARTHUR P. CURRIER, GEORGE E. NoYns,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

